Vjunior kids cinema (Southland)

http://villagecinemas.com.au/vjunior

1239 Nepean Hwy,
Cheltenham VIC 3192

Are you old enough to remember when Gold Class came out at the movies? It was this crazy new idea, this amazing concept that now we just expect as a option. Well, introducing Vjunior… Gold Class for kids. That’s not the official title, but it may as well be, and here’s why.

Vjunior is exclusive to Village Cinemas and it is the first cinema of it’s kind in Australia…. the cinema for kids, designed by kids. Missy Moo and I saw the new Peppa Pig movie with Georgia and Charlie Bear (2.5yo), and had a brilliant time together.

Let’s break it down.

The good bits (in order of appearance)

Or watch the video if you just want a quick squiz

The entrance.
Way to make us feel special on arrival! An entire special area just for the kids to walk through. You will absolutely not feel lost. As an extra good bit, all the fun stuff is around the corner and out of sight. This means if you’re not visiting Vjunior, but instead just going to the regular cinemas, your child won’t know what they’re missing out on. Well played parents who probably designed that layout, well played.

Btw..this cinema is sponsored by Hot Wheels if you’re confused. Seems a strange collaboration, but sure, I’ll allow it.

Next we come to the food (coffee available too)
Yep the food is kid friendly, and not overly bad pricing for the movies I think. Here’s the menu. I liked that the food was a bit away from the kids activities, so it wouldn’t strongly encourage kids to see something and demand it. Again, great layout Vjunior. When you order hot food you get a little buzzer thing that goes off when the food is ready, so you don’t have to try to physically restrain your child from running away while you’re waiting for your food. Winning!

Games area.
The waiting area is a great little set up. Designed to let your kids run off a bit of steam while waiting to enter the cinema. It included drawing tables, hot wheels car tracks, a mega blocks wall, and giant scrabble!

20170321_155211 (2) — I stole the only V…sorry Vjunior

So after we’ve had a play it is time to enter the cinema. Pre booking is essential and there are three different options with seats; regular, beanbag or reclining which are all priced the same. We went for yellow beanbag chair..no regrets. Was super comfy. The yellow seats are super low to the ground, so uber kid and toddler friendly. There is also a heap of leg room in front of each chair for toddlers who dance, jump and wriggle.

At the very front of the cinema is an interactive dance floor. This is turned off during the movie, so it really just serves and a great way to get kids to go a bit crazy before settling down for the film.

Of course, I must mentioned “The Slide”.
The slide operates for about 10 minutes before the film and during intermission. There is a staff member hiding in the box up the top to make sure kids don’t kill each other, and there is a door to lock it so it can’t be accessed during the film.

I’m 5ft and went down the slide with Missy Moo on my lap. I repeatedly bumped my head on the way down. This slide is not for adults! You have been warned.

The previews.
Films screening in Vjunior have less than 10 minutes of ads/previews before the film starts. How awesome is that! We only saw one preview when we went.

The sounds/lights.
Similar to a mums and bubs session the lights are on low and the sound isn’t super dooper loud. It was completely fine though, and I really didn’t notice much difference.

But the best bit of this cinema….The intermission!
A 10 minute intermission happens in the middle of the film. A great opportunity to stretch your legs, go for a slide, or a dance, give your kids a pep talk about their behaviour, wee or perhaps stock up on some more “stay still” bribery.

Ok… areas for improvement.

Toilets.
Seriously…I mean seriously. They spent all this money putting in a slide, and didn’t put in kids toilets near by? Crazy! There is a baby change table in the foyer, but this cinema is designed for kids 3-10…don’t they pee? Would have loved a bathroom with a little kids toilet and a regular sized toilet. I am actually shocked they didn’t include this in the design. The toilets are easily a good 5 minute fast toddler walk away from the cinemas. To get there, pee and get back within your 10 minute intermission would be tricky.

No pram parking.
Again, I’m surprised they didn’t make a spot for this. They say on the website that you are welcome to ask for assistance if you bring a pram, so perhaps they can pop it somewhere for you.

Ok.. that’s it…not too many areas to improve on at all!

Costs…
Adults $25
Kids 3-14 $19
Plus $1.20 booking fee per ticket if booking online.

Was it worth it? I really liked it. Loved that Missy Moo was comfy in her chair, and could play enough in the breaks that she was super settled during the film.

I give it a 9/10 and would definitely return. I hope Vjunior starts a new trend across the country!

Edit: Vjunior Fountain Gate opens in June followed by another location at Knox later in 2017!